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Game Thread tOSU at Penn State, Sat. Nov. 2, 12pm ET, FOX

Rewatching a 2nd and 3rd time.
Folks - Caleb Downs is arguably the most valuable defensive player. Lately, he has been making spectacular plays look routine. He seems to always be in the right place at the right time and executes nearly flawlessly.

And on offense…..Seth McLaughlin and Will Howard are both MVP worthy.

As talented as our roster has been it took a measurable leap forward with those 3 transfers. Amazing.
Just sayin': Yeah I agree.....

1) Caleb Downs* is one of the best open field tacklers Ohio State has had in recent years. And he is only a Sophomore; which means (unless he transfers again) he'll be back next year.

2) Considering the OL depth problems Ohio State has, we are "damn lucky" to have Seth McLaughlin* this year.

3) As I posted in another thread, a) Will Howard is definitely an upgrade over the QB1 from last year, b) he showed real good execution, judgement, and leadership in the final possession where we took over at the one, and c) if you look up "class act" in the dictionary you should see his picture, etc.

* Oh, and thank you Nick Saban for retiring from coaching......:biggrin:

 
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Thinking more about Will Howard’s fumble into the end zone. The geometry simply does not work out. The ball last hit him inbounds about 2 or 3 inches from the sideline….it was that close. And it landed about 1 foot out of bounds in the end zone. Draw a straight line between those 2 points and it’s still out of bounds.
Yea, I don't see how you can overturn that type of play without an overhead or maybe back pylon shot. It's the same reason you need a shot straight down the goal line to overturn a close run TD. Refs fucked up.
 
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Post Game Notes

1. After spotting the Nittany Lions a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Ohio State outscored Penn State 20-3, and outgained them 353 yards to 209 yards, throughout the remainder of the game. It wasn't a case of complete dominance, as the Buckeyes needed a pair of goal-line stands to keep the Lions out of the end zone, but it was about the best that could have been expected playing the #3 team in the country on the road.

2. The Buckeye running attack was back in form, with tailbacks Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combining for 24 carries for 149 yards (6.2 average, no touchdowns). Although neither back produced a truly big play (Judkins's long run was 22 yards, Henderson's was 16 yards), they managed to gain positive yardage on 21 of their 24 carries (the remainder being one run for –1 yard, and two runs for 0 yards), and 4+ yards on 14 of their carries. This performance might not seem exceptional, but the consistent if not spectacular ground game allowed Ohio State to wear down the Penn State defense, maintain solid field position, control the pace of the game, and ultimately run out the clock in what turned out to be a war of attrition.

3. Will Howard had the kind of game that many of us anticipated – plenty of solid mid-range throws, some tough yards on the ground, and two incredibly important turnovers that nearly cost the Buckeyes the game. The first turnover was a pick six on the Buckeyes' third offensive play of the game that gave the Nittany Lions their only touchdown and a seemingly (to much of Buckeye Nation, at any rate) insurmountable 10–0 lead. While Howard was then able to lead Ohio State on consecutive touchdown drives – the first culminating in a 25-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka, the second in a 21-yard pass to Brandon Inniss – Howard's second turnover had a much larger impact on the game. With Ohio State leading 14-10 and Penn State ready to tap out, the Buckeyes had the ball 1st-and-10 at the Lions' 13-yard line. On the next play, Howard kept the ball on a designed quarterback run around left end and had a fairly clear path down the sideline to the end zone. But the one man whom Howard had to beat did so, knocking the ball out of his hand just before he crossed the goal line. Of course, Happy Valley juju bit the Buckeyes once again – the ball did not go out of bounds at the one-yard line as it should have done, but instead got "kneed" by Howard through the end zone for a touchback. This miscue not only cost Ohio State seven points, a ton of momentum, and a commanding lead, but also probably caused Ryan Day and Chip Kelly to take a slightly more conservative approach on offense for the remainder of the game. Of course, no single play occurs in a vacuum, but it could reasonably be argued that Howard's turnovers lead to a 14-point swing against the Buckeyes in the final score.

4. The Buckeye offense showed plenty of creativity, relying on a lot of misdirection, especially in the passing game. But for a pair of turnovers from Howard, the Buckeyes probably score 30+ points and maybe win the game in semi-blowout fashion. With a revamped offensive line, including a left tackle who clearly isn't a left tackle, the Buckeyes should rely on a combination of power running and elusive passing, using Howard on designed or option runs to keep the defense honest, moving Howard in the pocket to take pressure off of the line as well as to confuse the defense (which seemed to happen several times against Penn State).

5. In some ways, the Buckeye defense played an outstanding game, limiting Penn State to 6 points (the other 7 coming courtesy of the aforementioned pick six) and 270 total yards. The defense also had a pair of epic goal line stands, but those only came into being because the defense had allowed Penn State twice to march down the field. On the first occasion, the Lions began their drive at the Ohio State 49-yard line thanks to a Buckeye sack, three-and-out, and short punt. With under two minutes to play in the first half, the Lions quickly went 46 yards in 7 plays and looked to be in perfect position to take a lead into the locker room. Facing 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Buckeye cornerback Davison Igbinosun made a highlight reel interception in the end zone to kill the very promising drive. The second occasion came in the fourth quarter with Ohio State clinging to a 20–13 lead. After receiving the Ohio State kickoff, Penn State took over at their own 25-yard line needing a touchdown to even the score. Thanks to a pair of All American plays from tight end Tyler Warren (31-yard reception, 33-yard run), Penn State once again had the ball 1st-and-goal at the 3-yard line. After stuffing three straight "manball" running plays, the defense forced an incompletion on a ball thrown into quadruple coverage. It was definitely quite an accomplishment for the Buckeye defense, but with a healthy assist from James Franklin and his offensive brain trust.

6. The Buckeye pass rush has come into question recently, primarily because the defensive line can't generate sufficient pressure, and when they do get pressure they lose contain and allow running lanes for quarterback to escape the pocket. While the Buckeye defense did record two sacks on back-to-back plays that killed a Nittany Lions drive, the defense also let the Lions to gain 46 yards on four scramble plays, three of which resulted in first downs.

7. In general, the Buckeye defense is susceptible to quarterback runs and this includes Wildcat plays. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, undoubtedly a great player, burned Ohio State for 47 yards on three Wildcat runs, including a 33-yard dash on 3rd-and-6 that gave Penn State a 1st-and-goal at the 3-yard line (see second goal line stand, above). You can bet that the scUM coaching staff has noticed this weakness and will have prepared plenty of plays for their running quarterback, Alex Orji.

8. The Buckeye kicking game was shaky but got the job done. Place kicker Jayden Fielding hit a pair of field goals including a season-long from 46 yards out ... but his 39-yard attempt in the fourth quarter took off a coat of paint as it squeezed inside the left upright. You probably never want to trust a kicker to win a game for you, but Ohio State simply cannot rely on Fielding in a pressure situation in a big game. Punter Joe McGuire had a pair of punts for a 47.0 yard average ... but when he needed to crush one at the end of the first half he managed to boot it only 41 yards (net of 34 yards) that set up the Nittany Lions in Buckeye territory with a chance to take the lead into halftime (see first goal line stand, above).

9. Ohio State has now beaten Penn State eight times in a row. The Buckeyes lead the series 26–14 (.650 winning percentage), with a record of 24–8 (.750 winning percentage) in Big Ten play. Penn State – still not elite, still not our rivals.
 
yeah but they were mixing in runs and passes so it's not like the D knew we were just lining up with 2 TEs and running every single play.

what's that?
Nice. You just used your weekly allotment of sarcasm, and the week wasn't even 11 hours old.

Before you read the next sentence, sit down.

Ok, are you sitting down?

Ped fans are complaining about the officiating
And my guess is that you're dangerously close to exceeding your allotment, too.
 
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Five Things: Ohio State Owns Line of Scrimmage, Earns Big Road Victory Over No. 3 Penn State​

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OH!-LINE​

The chief angst-driver following the close win over the Huskers fell at the feet of an offensive line that failed to generate any push as the run game tallied 64 yards on 2.1 per try with two sacks last weekend. The performance came on the heels of Ohio State's run game disappearing in the second half in Eugene two weeks prior, after left tackle Josh Simmons was lost for the season. In that one, OSU managed 19 rushing yards on 1.6 a pop after halftime meaning over the last six quarters, Ohio State's run game averaged 1.9 yards per carry.

With those failings threatening to torpedo the season, Day, his offensive line coach, Justin Frye, and offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, went into the lab. They emerged with a lineup that moved left guard Donovan Jackson to left tackle, inserted backup center Carson Hinzman at left guard, and kept the rest of the line intact: Seth McLaughlin at center, Tegra Tshabola at right guard and Josh Fryar at right tackle.

All five came together in a hostile environment and helped the run game tally 176 rushing yards on 4.4 per try against a defense giving up 93 yards on 3.2 per attempt coming into the matchup. The retooled line also helped Ohio State convert 6-of-12 third down conversion tries including a perfect 4-for-4 when running the ball, chewing up 23 crucial yards.

The offensive line saved its best for last as Ohio State took possession of the football at its own 1-yard line after the defense turned in a clutch goal line stand. Leading 20-13 with 5:13 left in regulation and a chance to run out the clock, Frye's unit did exactly that, and did so in dominating fashion.
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continued

Just sayin': Be honest now. After all the OL issues/problems Ohio State has had this season, who ever thought that you would ever see the headline "Ohio State Owns Line of Scrimmage" after playing a top 3 team?
 
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Yea, I don't see how you can overturn that type of play without an overhead or maybe back pylon shot. It's the same reason you need a shot straight down the goal line to overturn a close run TD. Refs fucked up.

You have a good point. There is a difference between "I know this is what happened," and "There is video evidence that this is what happened."
I think they got the call correct, based on the first one, but it's pretty clear that the rules say they need the second one.

Here's the replay. Go to about 6:30 for the live shot, and about 6:36 for the zoomed-in shot.



He fumbles about the 1-1/2 yard line, kicks it forward with his knee about the 1 yard line, and it goes about 5 yards into the endzone, and about 6 inches out of bounds. So, if it goes to Will Howard's left about 2 inches every yard it goes forward, if it hits within 10 inches of the side line, it went out of bounds in the endzone.

So the pylon is standing out of bounds. But is it in bounds? I remember when Penix played for Indiana and he beat Penn State, the ball hit the pylon and it was ruled a touchdown. So if the ball goes over the pylon, it's still in bounds, right?
Also, it's any part of the ball, correct? The ball is about 8-1/2 inches in diameter. So you've got 4 inches of "wiggle room" to play with.

I'm convinced they made the right call, unfortunately. I think that call took some wind out of Ohio State's sails and gave Penn State some momentum. Second half may have been different if Ohio State can take a 21-10 lead into the locker room.
 
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Before you read the next sentence, sit down.

Ok, are you sitting down?

Ped fans are complaining about the officiating
The one post over there, and copied here, somewhere, tries to say some scores were legitimate and others weren't. And then the poster takes those points off the board, and tries to say that the final score is different. That's all fine and good for those of us who sit on the couch and bitch and whine and then bitch some more. But in reality, one play can change how the rest of the game is played. And it's to the point where you can't just say, "If this happened, the other team would have won." (Okay, fine, if it's in the last couple of plays of the game, you can say that.)

The way it was explained to me was with baseball. Say your team is down by 2, with a runner on first base and 1 out. The runner gets thrown out trying to steal 2nd base. The next pitch is hit for a home run. It's easy to say, "Dang! If he hadn't tried to steal, we'd be tied, now." Not necessarily. Maybe the pitcher decided that with 2 outs and he's up 2, he can give up the home run and still have the lead, so he pitches something that he's more likely to get a strike. He doesn't want to walk the batter, after all.

So, some touchdown that Ohio State scored that the Penn State nerds decide are "illegitimate", well, first of all, eff them. Second of all, there's no way to know for sure what would have happened if it was called differently. Ohio State may have punted, and Penn State muffed it and Ohio State scores 2 plays later anyway. You don't know.
If Ohio State scores on that Will Howard fumble, taking a 21-10 lead, maybe a Penn State fan takes James Franklin to the locker room, and someone with some understanding takes over, and Penn State wins 31-21.
 
To me this game showed what this team is capable of when they’re focused on the end goal. Very impressed with how they didn’t panic going down 10 early and with the turnover at the goaline. Dare I say they sowed grit, determination and even a bit of moxie 8D

The final drive was incredibly impressive and you could get the sense from Howard that he was going to ensure they were going to close them out.

Hats off to all of the players and coaches for an outstanding victory yesterday!
 
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So you’re saying the ball curved out of bounds ?
It started from a point less than 6 inches inbounds to a point more than 6 inches out of bounds…..and it started at the 2 and landed 2 yards deep in the end zone. Math says the center of the ball never went directly over the pylon or inbounds of the pylon…..full stop
I'm saying that either you don't know the rule, you are misrepresenting the trajectory of the ball, or both. Full stop.
 
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Yea, I don't see how you can overturn that type of play without an overhead or maybe back pylon shot. It's the same reason you need a shot straight down the goal line to overturn a close run TD. Refs fucked up.
The job of the replay official is NOT to get the call right. The job of the replay official is to overturn "only those plays where the absolute standard of indisputable video evidence is met." (emphasis in original). In most cases, the "problem" with replay officials is overturning a call on the field when there is clearly a lack of "indisputable video evidence" to justify their decision (see Ohio State vs Georgia in the 2022 playoffs, Ohio State vs Clemson in the 2019 playoffs, etc.).

This play presents an unusual problem – the call on the field was a touchdown but the indisputable video evidence showed that there was no touchdown. Although the indisputable video evidence showed what DID NOT happen, it didn't show what actually DID happen – did the fumbled football go out of bounds or through the end zone? So based on the indisputable video evidence, the replay officials have to overturn the call of touchdown, but on what basis can they make the call of touchback? Quite simply, they can't make that call because the evidence does not support it. To be fair, neither can they make the call of out of bounds, because the evidence does not support that call either. Maybe in such a case the play should be a "do over" – Ohio State ball on the 13-yard line, 1st-and-10.
 
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